Four offensive coordinators. Three offensive line coaches. Two head coaches. A lot has changed as Jacob Welch begins his fourth year at NIU.

But perhaps the biggest change coming for the redshirt junior and Johnsburg graduate is that he’s poised to see ample playing time for the first time in his career, perhaps even crack the starting lineup.

“We’ve had so much change since I’ve been here in ‘23, I think we’re just used to it,” Welch said. “We understand how to go about our business every day even though that stuff changes. That’s the world of college football right now. You just have to adapt and keep pushing forward.”

New head coach Rob Harley said Welch is an incredibly versatile and cerebral player who can plug in anywhere on the line. With most of the players who had experience graduated or otherwise gone from the program, Harley said Welch is providing valuable leadership along with a group of other junior linemen.

After coach Thomas Hammock announced he was resigning as head coach in February to join the coaching staff of the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks, Harley was named the interim coach through the end of the season.

Welch said he was instantly energized when he found out Harley was going to lead the team.

“When I heard coach Harley was going to be the new head coach, I was super excited,” Welch said. “I know that last year the defense loved him and his energy. I didn’t really talk to him much last year but I could just see the buy-in and the couple of conversations we had have been awesome.”

Harley said Welch and other veteran linemen, like Welch’s roommates and fellow redshirt junior linemen Luke Skartvedt and Landon Hron, met with Harley after he got the job.

The super-tight-knit group, as Welch describes it, gave him its seal of approval.

“When I met with those guys right after it happened, it was a powerful meeting because they were all like ‘Coach, we got you,’” Harley said. “I think part of that is they knew me. Maybe not from a day-to-day, all the time, but I think that helped.”

Under NCAA rules, NIU players had a chance to enter the transfer portal after Hammock left due to the coaching change.

Welch would seem like an ideal candidate to go into the portal. He’s 6-foot-6, 316 pounds and hasn’t played outside of special teams in his first three seasons.

But through all the turnover in his time at NIU, Welch never tested the transfer portal. Like 90 of the 93 other players on the roster when Hammock left, Welch stayed this time as well.

“I think what that says about him is that he enjoys playing with his teammates and his friends,” Harley said. “He’s got a life of four years built here and he wants to see it through.”

Harley also said bringing in a “great human being” at offensive line coach in Matt White helps. He also said an inside zone is an inside zone regardless of the coach. That eases the constant coaching carousel Welch and the line have been subjected to.

White said the coaching staff is asking the line to play fast, play physical and play together this year.

“The school means something to him. The program means something to him. NIU means something to him,” White said. “The guys who stick around are guys I want to be around.”